The Molecular Biology Research Program at The American Museum of Natural History, under the direction of new curators, was in need of a new laboratory for DNA sequencing and molecular systematic research. Work included the design of a completely new infrastructure for an 1890 landmark building.

The initial challenge posed by the project was to determine where the proper place for such facility was within the context of the total institution, while considering the type of work planned for the facility. The Invertebrate Department had space available that had previously been used as office space and storerooms on the top floor of the building.

The radio scopes used in the molecular lab work required that the space be in an area without through circulation, while the chemicals used required large quantities of fresh air and exhaust. The traffic and ventilation requirements became paramount and the lab was placed on the top floor in the offices and storerooms just below the attic.

The attic was of sufficient size to serve as both a mechanical equipment room and an interstitial space for the distribution of ductwork. This allocation of space avoided the placement of a machine room on the same floor as the labs, which would have consumed the adjacent space planned as offices for the researchers. The use of the attic also enabled the lab to be designed without obstructing any of the limited window area available within the labs.